


Just this once

by krisrussel



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-23
Updated: 2012-06-23
Packaged: 2017-11-08 09:39:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/441813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisrussel/pseuds/krisrussel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene from "Journey's End". Donna can't believe the Doctor wants to leave Rose behind and tries to change his mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just this once

**Author's Note:**

> I always felt this scene was missing in the ep as I couldn't believe Donna would just back the Doctor up in leaving Rose and the other Doctor behind.

“You can’t do that,” Donna said in disbelief as the Doctor threw her a glare.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Of course you have a choice. There's always a choice.”

He wiped a hand over his face and let out an exasperated sigh. “Not this time.”

Donna gave the Doctor a look. While the others were piloting the TARDIS, she had pulled him aside to tell him how much she was looking forward to traveling with two Doctors and Rose.

Then he dropped the bombshell on her.

“You can choose not to leave her behind in that parallel universe.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“It is,” she pointed out.

The Doctor sighed again. “Look, Donna…”

“Do you love her?” she interrupted him.

He was taken aback by the question. “Donna…”

“Do you?”

Sighing he shook his head. “That has nothing to do with this.”

“Now I know you’re lying.”

“I don’t lie!” He looked seriously offended.

“No, you just twist the truth and hide the feelings in your hearts. Listen, I know you love her. It’s plain obvious when you talk about her and when you look at her. So why do you want to get rid of her? Don’t you want to spend more time with her?”

“And then what?” He spit out between his teeth. “We can’t grow old together. I can’t settle down with her. I don’t even know if we can have children. I can’t give her what she wants.” He sighed again and then said much more softly, “but he can.”

Donna’s eyes grew wide. “You’re leaving him with her?”

Nodding, he absentmindedly wiped an invisible smudge off the railing with his sleeve and turned back to her. “I... care about her… more than anything. And that is why I have to let her go... with him. He can give her a future. He can be a part of her life like I could never be.”

“But he’s not you and she knows that.”

“He is me. His essence of being is me. He’s just…”

“Darker?” Donna suggested.

He nodded. “He’s me when Rose and I met. He’s me when you and I met. She could pull him out of the darkness. They could be amazing together.”

“But is that what she would want?”

“She… she’ll understand.”

It was the first time ever that Donna heard real hesitation in his voice. Just a slight falter. But it convinced her that he was still doubting his decision.

“She wants the adventure just as much as she wants you,” Donna pointed out.

“I know she does. But I… I could never give her more than that adventure. He could.”

“But he doesn’t have a TARDIS, he couldn’t give her that adventure at all.”

A small smile appeared on his face. “You’d be surprised how much adventure there is on Earth.”

“It’s not the same though, is it?”

“I suppose not,” he admitted with a sigh. “But don’t you see what I’m trying to do?”

“Yes, but in the end the choice is with Rose, not with you.”

“Not this time. This time I have to choose for her.”

“Because you know what she’d choose,” she stated.

He nodded. “For the first few years she’ll be happy here; Being in the TARDIS going on adventures with the Doctor. But then she’ll suddenly realize that she’s grown old and that I’m still the same. She’ll realize she can’t keep up with me anymore and that’ll make her feel miserable. After a while I’ll have no choice but to leave her behind on Earth, with family and friends that barely remember her. For once… just this once... I can change that outcome. She can grow old, together with the Doctor.”

“Is that what will happen to me?” Donna asked.

He gave her a guilty look and cast his eyes away from her. “It’s what happens to all of you. It’s the biggest curse of being the last of the Timelords.”

“Everyone you love grows old and dies,” Donna said.

“For once I can change that.” He gave her a pleading look. “Please, help me change that.”

Donna sighed, but eventually nodded. “I will.”

 

The end


End file.
